A range and choice of housing

Housing demand is directly related to population trends and characteristics. The size, composition and expected growth of the housing market influences the range and types of housing supplied and the timing of such supply.

Good quality housing

The average lifespan of a house in New Zealand is approximately 80 years. Over time, housing materials deteriorate, and house designs become less effective in meeting modern needs. The combination of these two factors leads to homes that are less effective in meeting modern housing needs, creating substandard housing that causes health, amenity and safety issues for occupants.

Key points

Post-earthquake, overall housing satisfaction in Christchurch has seen small decreases, whilst the number of people who are dissatisfied has close to doubled.

The satisfaction with CCC Social Housing declined from 69% to 64% between 2016 and 2017.

Unsurprisingly, the proportion of social housing in the city that is habitable declined significantly following the earthquake. The proportion of habitable CCC housing reached a low of 82.6 per cent in 2013 before levelling off at 84 per cent in 2014.

The amount spent on domestic energy has remained relatively consistent, accounting for around 40% of total household expenditure since 2007.

After peaking in the initial years following the earthquakes, it appears the number of residential noise complaints are beginning to decrease, declining by 16% between 2013 and 2014.

More detail and information

A range of housing types

The population and demographic composition of Christchurch is evolving over time, and consequently so too are the preferred housing types. In general, housing preferences are determined by a person or groups lifestyle aspirations. Our overall housing needs are likely to change in coming years with significant growth in 1 and 2 person households.

Key points

Currently, the most significant proportion of the city's housing stock consists of separate, standalone houses.

Although 3 bedroom homes are the most common dwelling size (40% of the occupied housing stock), the number of 4 or more bedroom homes has doubled since 1991.

The number of rental properties in the city has increased by two thirds since 1991 to around 35% of dwellings.

Around 80% of rental properties in Christchurch are owned by private landlords.

Tenure Over Time

Sector of Landlord

More detail and information

Housing Statistics(external link): Statistics about housing give you information on physical dwellings, such as size and affordability, and the people who live in them, including their level of satisfaction with their house.

Affordable housing options

Since the 1990's there has been an overall trend of decreasing home ownership rates and affordability. This is due to house prices increasing faster than household incomes and housing rents, making it relatively more expensive to own a home.

Key points

Historically, Canterbury had the most affordable housing of New Zealand's main centres. In 2016, housing affordability has increased since a post-earthquake peak in 2015.

Between September 2010 and June 2016, the median house price in Christchurch has increased by 33%, and is now consistently higher than it has ever been.

Similar to the housing affordability index, rental affordability has become less affordable in Canterbury since the earthquakes. Rental affordability is beginning to decrease in 2015, now just below the National average.

Between 2010 and 2015, mean rent prices in Christchurch increased by 44%; however in the last year, prices have begun to decline again.

Sufficient housing to accommodate residents

Christchurch's population is becoming larger, and more diverse, which means that there are both short and long term factors influencing demand for housing in the city. A fundamental concern associated with housing supply is the relationship between the total number and types of housing units within the city, and the number of households wishing to occupy those housing units.

Key points

Between 2006 and 2013, the number of households in Christchurch decreased by around 3%.

However, it is anticipated that the number of households will increase by 1200 per year until 2016. By 2041 the number of households will be approximately 30% higher than that recorded in the 2013 census.

In addition to more people coming into the city, housing demand is also driven by the decreasing size of households from 2.5 in 2015 to 2.4 in 2028.

Since the earthquake, there has been 8700 new houses built, and 6900 houses rebuilt due to earthquake damage.

In 2013 there were 4500 dwellings in Christchurch that were considered crowded (i.e. need 1 or 2 additional bedrooms); however there are 138,500 spare bedrooms in houses throughout the city.

There appears to be continual demand for social housing in Christchurch. Housing New Zealand waiting lists continue to grow, however CCC waiting lists are begining to level off.

New and Replacement Housing

Household Crowding

More detail and information

Canterbury Wellbeing Index(external link): The Canterbury Council and territorial authority areas in New Zealand. Wellbeing Index tracks the progress of social recovery using indicators to identify emerging social trends and issues.